Erling Haaland has been growing in stature for quite some time. Without going too far, at the end of August he received a well-known award: he was named Player of the Year by UEFA. And, on the occasion of being honored as the Mother House of European Football, The striker chose to address Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Today’s Argentines and Portuguese remain far removed from the old continent, where they have remained on all recognized podiums for many years.For this reason, Manchester City goal scorer Can’t help but mention them When they gave him new trophies to adorn his display case.
At the same time, the recipient of this honor He avoids escalating data-based debate with Kylian Mbappe He downplayed the head-to-head battle with the world runner-up: He assured that he had no intention of comparing himself to other colleagues or measuring his performance.
“I never talk about myself to other players, that’s not the way I exist or the way I look at things. I focus on myself and just try to get better every day, Continue to enjoy what I do and be the best version of myself.”, he commented in an interview with French magazine France Football.
Erling Haaland on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
The Norwegian’s achievements in recent years invite him to sit at the small table headed by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for a while, although they no longer play in Europe. therefore, When accepting an award, comparisons inevitably arise.
Haaland himself, however, has chosen to go out and play ball, and put the various controversies to rest by recognizing the outliers who thrive in the United States and Saudi Arabia today. “They’re still great.”
“It is necessary to emphasize what crazy things Messi and Ronaldo did Remember, they always do this because even as they get older, obviously, they’re still great,” Erling said.
Haaland’s award: He beat Messi
The 23-year-old Haaland has exceeded all expectations. And, in his first season with Manchester City, he performed well. Not only did he receive the aforementioned UEFA Player of the Season award for the 2022/23 season, but he also received a similar honor for his work in the Premier League.
This time, the Norwegian managed to outdo his teammates in the votes of coaches and journalists Kevin De Bruyne and even Lionel MessiPlayed for Paris Saint-Germain during the nomination period.
The striker ended his first experience in English football by finishing first in the goalscoring charts: he broke the record with 36 goals in the competition (7 of them from 12 steps) and in the Champions League Scored 12 more goals. Four more than his immediate follower, Liverpool’s Egyptian Mohamed Salah.